Tell me about religious characters you've played, played

Preacher, Learn all language and preach the teaching in the name of the Lord. Get imprisoned a lot and converted the villians.

File: artur.png (235KB, 318x678px) Image search: [Google]

235KB, 318x678px

Religious characters are practically my niche. Cleric-type classes have always been my favorite kind of classes, and most of my characters end up having a religious background.

They're majorly more of the kind and altruistic sort, rather than the angry extremist kind. Ones that value goodness and kindness, and would rather spread the tenets of their faith through peaceful means rather than violence, only drawing their weapons or using their offensive spells should there be no other choice to protect others or themselves. Also valuing redemption, giving evildoers a chance to turn to light and right their wrongs rather than indiscriminately slaying them.

I'm particularly partial to deities of light and healing. Ones like Pelor and Sarenrae in particular. Basically I like being the Fire Emblem Bishop. Healing people, throwing around fancy holy light magic, and bringing others to my faith with my compassion and kind demeanor.

Weird cultists are also fun, but they're usually on the more on the evil end of the spectrum for me.

I played in a setting where the elven gods were consumed and their portfolio taken over by human gods. Some elves adapted to this and turned to worship the human equivalents, others continued worship in their gods absence, or discovered newer darker gods.

My character was an elf mercenary that was incredibly religious and racist in that endearing character sort of way, so much so he had a hidden agenda to disrupt the human churches and break them down. He disliked human clerics greatly, and if given the opportunity would kill the faithful first. He never targeted those beyond his contract however, so his actions could never be truly construed as personally motivated, but rather just what he and the party was hired to do.

His plans began with a faith-fueled rebellion in part of the human empire. He and the party were hired on to quell the uprising, and while they did so, he made sure that the losses were great on both sides where diplomacy would have settled things cleaner. This namely put the party in the good graces of the church.

Later on he encountered a being that was faithful to the church but heretical because of it's existence as an undead, despite still part of the church. He helped the creature in it's task and kept it's existence secret. This being went on to create a schism in the belief structure.

As the game went on, they party became part of the intrigues of the church, with a supposed plot to assassinate the emperor and turn the empire in a theocracy with the Pope at the head. The party was present at a great ceremony, the Pope had publicly denounced the Emperor at this ceremony and had him killed. The elf and the party attacked, killing the Pope.

This summoned a fucking angel who the elf gladly killed and declared the death of the Emperor, Pope, and symbol of the Human Gods as the triumph of his elven gods. As that was the end of the campaign, the epilogue detailed his actions sparking an elven jihad on human kingdoms and churches.

File: campfire.gif (982KB, 500x190px) Image search: [Google]

982KB, 500x190px

>>52183931
I like the loner, Knight of Faith type religious characters. Characters like Joshua Graham from Fallout, or the protagonist of The Book of Eli, characters who are carrying the fire and will continue to do so even when the whole world falls apart around them.

As for violence, it really depends on the character and motivation. Maybe they find out that smiting evil feels good, but feel conflicted about taking joy in the slaughter of another human, albeit an evil human. Maybe they've grown past any moral quandaries about killing, they don't actively seek the death of others, but when done righteously, it's a chore like any other.

File: image.jpg (21KB, 509x289px) Image search: [Google]

21KB, 509x289px

I'm a big fan of the insane zealot personally.

Extremist paladins.

If you're going to do something go the full measure.

I exclusively play religious characters. Sisters of Battle in Wh40k and Paladins in RPGs. Moral uptightness and faith is just something I can relate to. I had a pally that would demand duels from every evil aligned character he met, regardless of odds. Didn't last long.

I personally like to give the Kindness and Deus Vultery a good Balance. My favorite so far is my Dark Heresy Cleric. He was basicly both, caring and altruistic for all brave citizens of the Imperium, always optimistic and so blind in his faith that he simply don't see the cruel things around him. He was praying that everyone can gain Absolution through the Emprah, and no one that is his servant can be dammed even Abhumans and Psykers and on the other hand to the proofed Heretics and Mutants he was Alexander Anderson on Crack. To put it shortly, with the same blessed smile, he would console an orphan with, he would also nail a heretic on a cross and put it on fire.

>>52183931
All of my characters are religious. All of them keep their religion to themselves, and abide by its tenets but don't preach. Those that do have divine powers prefer showing instead of telling.

File: 1481684417946.jpg (15KB, 255x255px) Image search: [Google]

15KB, 255x255px

>>52187632
My philosophy about "extremists" is that an inherrently evil ideology leads to evil extremists and an inherrently good ideology leads to good extremists. Extremism is just following an ideology to its logical extreme. For paladin this would mean EXTREME goodness.

You end up with a paladin who jumps through an open window during a family dinner, grabs both of the family's children by the backs of their heads, smashes their faces into their plates and forces them to eat their veggies.

You end up with a paladin who rushes into an understaffed orphanage to read stories to the poor and bored orphans ("...and then the noble knight slew all the goblin children and made a nice hat out of the goblin chieftain's skull. The end!").

You end up with a paladin who runs from one end to a busy square to another at full speed to smack a child up the head for backtalking to his mother.

You end up with a paladin who carries two live pigs and an entire basket full of vegetables into a kitchen, followed by horribly violent sounds and loud cries of "DEUS VULT", and leaves with enough food to feed the local poor for the night.

You end up with a paladin who smashes his head through a bedroom wall, glares down to a teenager who's about to masturbate, and tells him "DON'T".

You end up with a paladin who tears apart two quarreling lovers, stares both of them down and doesn't let either of them leave unless they've talked about how they really feel about whatever's causing the conflict.

File: SM_2_4.jpg (96KB, 575x651px) Image search: [Google]

96KB, 575x651px

>>52183931
You can't beat a good old paladin- true, inspiring, a bastion of hope, friendliness and purity. He's a good old down to earth hero, with small town morals and charm, who'll never let an innocent come to harm on his watch.

>>52183931
I tend to run my Paladins as various flavors of "Lawful Good does not equal Lawful Nice"

He does what his moral compass deems Right and Just, even if laws or traditions decree otherwise. Surrender and Redemption is offered once, and only once, before the blade falls. if whoever i'm fighting is not willing to surrender and face Justice, then I deliver the killing blow as quickly and painlessly as possible.

The last major enemy who surrendered to us and took the chance at redemption was sentenced to aid the rebuilding of the fortress and surrounding village his army had sacked a year prior. Only as the last stone is set in place will his penitence end. In sentencing him thusly he gets to witness first hand the pain and suffering that he caused and help mend the wounds, both physical and emotional, left by those under his command.

File: Baptism of Poland.jpg (189KB, 1370x583px) Image search: [Google]

189KB, 1370x583px

>>52183931
If I make a character, be it in a tabletop game or in vidya, they are invariably religious. The degree simply varies. For instance, my half-orc Paladin of Heironeous is respectful, generally polite, and restrained, yet is passionate in his faith. On the other hand, my Knight borders on lunacy, though it's mainly due to his focus on THE LAW rather than religion.

As a general rule, I prefer to err on the side of altruism. If my characters ever say the equivalent of "Deus vult," it's to inspire their comrades or otherwise encourage others. They're more likely to say things like "My faith is my shield," or "[Deity] is with us, take courage," and other things along those lines.

Playing an Arcana Cleric in an upcoming campaign. Running her as a jaded nihilist who doesn't believe in any god that doesn't take an active hand in the goings on of the world. Knowledge is the only true path.